Zaks
Construction toy
title: "Zaks" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["art-and-craft-toys", "construction-toys", "1980s-toys"] description: "Construction toy" topic_path: "general/art-and-craft-toys" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaks" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Construction toy ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/WallEinZaks.jpg" caption="A cartoon character built entirely with '''Zaks''' triangles and squares."] ::
Zaks is a construction toy originally produced in Canada by the company Irwin Toy in 1987 and released in the United States by Ohio Art Company in 1988. The toy is a system of multicolored flat plastic triangle and square pieces that interlock via snap lock hinges along their edges, creating moveable structures. The toy includes additional pieces such as columnar joint attachments, push-in eyes, clear bubbles, cones, and antennae.
Overview
Zaks consists primarily of equilateral triangles and squares with toothed, hinged, and interlocking edges. The basic triangle and square shapes are further modified by having a number of different face styles, including holes or extended sockets that allow them to connect face-to-face. The toys can be attached to one another to build three-dimensional creations, with the edges either remaining rigid or being allowed to swivel. It is quite easy to create Platonic solids using Zaks, and the toys are useful to demonstrate how simple planes like triangles and squares can be used to create complex polyhedra. Since the pieces primarily connect with hinges, building a rigid structure takes some work, either by clever geometry or socketing together smaller polyhedra.
Conception
Zaks (an acronym for Ziegler's Animated Konstruction System){{cite news |title=ZAKS; A hot new dimension in construction toys |last=Brady |first=Shiela |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=1987-12-12 |page=F2 |id= |title=Toying with success: Jim Ziegler is building the future around his all-Canadian creation |work=Calgary Herald |last=Kiy |first=Dirk |date=1988-12-04 |pages=I4–I5
Ziegler had the idea for Zaks in 1982, while making a wooden jewelry box for his wife. He came up with 85% of the invention over two weeks. Over 18 months, he invested $70,000, half of it his own money, while working on the prototype as a hobby. He approached Irwin Toy, who were looking for a Canadian-designed toy that they could market globally. Irwin kept the toy's development secret due to its innovative quality and commercial potential; according to Irwin Toy vice-president George Irwin, "Only three or four people in the company knew about Zaks". The toy was named in October, 1986{{cite news |title=Birth of Zaks a closely guarded secret |work=Calgary Herald |last=Tousley |first=Nancy |authorlink=Nancy Tousley |date=1987-01-21 |page=D2 |title=ZAKS: New toy's potential bound only by your imagination |work=Calgary Herald |last=Tousley |first=Nancy |authorlink=Nancy Tousley |date=1987-01-21 |pages=D1
Release
Zaks was released in Canada in August 1987 and was an immediate success, becoming the eighth best-selling toy in Canada in 1987{{cite news |title=Toys R Volatile: the fickle favors of four-year-old fun-seekers |work=Financial Times of Canada |page=A7 |last=Block |first=Robert |date=1988-10-31 |title=Inventor of Zaks has plenty of other toy ideas |work=Calgary Herald |last=King |first=Frank |date=1990-12-06 |page=105 |title=Legos suffer Zaks attack |work=Oakland Tribune |date=1988-03-27 |last=Forney |first=Jim |page=82 |title=Artist works bugs out of triangle toy |work=Calgary Herald |last=Tousley |first=Nancy |authorlink=Nancy Tousley |date=1987-11-04 |page=D13 |title=ZZZZZAKS! |work=Calgary Herald |date=1988-09-16 |page=C9
By 1990, Zaks had reached sales of about $25 million but sales had slowed significantly. By 1995 Zaks had sold $28 million worldwide.{{cite news |title=Big kid inventor builds 'better' block: New Jambu toy like moveable Lego |work=The Hamilton Spectator |date=1995-12-18 |last=Westhead |first=Rick |page=T3 |id=
Sets
Irwin Toy initially released Zaks sets with 52, 144, 274, and 474 pieces, with prices ranging from about C$10 to C$40. Ohio Arts released 48, 96, 152 and 328 piece Zaks sets in 1988 and added 16 and 354 piece sets in 1989. Ohio Arts also released themed sets, including sets to build a magic circle, pink pig, masks, a dirt buggy, and a battle cruiser.{{cite web |url=https://www.parrygamepreserve.com/features/catalogs/ohioArt/1988_ohio_art.php |title=1988 Ohio Art Toy Fair Catalog |publisher=Parry Game Preserve |url=https://www.parrygamepreserve.com/features/catalogs/ohioArt/1989_ohio_art.php |title=1989 Ohio Art Toy Fair Catalog |publisher=Parry Game Preserve |url=https://www.parrygamepreserve.com/features/catalogs/ohioArt/1990_ohio_art.php |title=1990 Ohio Art Toy Fair Catalog |publisher=Parry Game Preserve
Awards and recognition
Zaks won the Canadian Toy Testing Council Award of Merit as Best Construction Toy of 1987{{cite news |title=Tuesday in the Sun |work=Vancouver Sun |date=1987-11-30 |page=A2
The Center for Science in the Public Interest gave Zaks its 1988 Hubbard Lemon Award for misleading advertising in the Toys category. A spokesman for the awards stated that "Zaks simply can't be made to do the wild gyrations that appear in the commercial".{{cite news |work=Los Angeles Times |title=Deceit Brings Dishonor to the Worst Ads of '88 |date=1989-06-13 |last=Horovitz |first=Bruce |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-06-13-fi-2220-story.html |title='Winning' commercial is misleading |last=Yeomans |first=Laura |work=Times Recorder |page=6-C |date=1989-08-25
Zaks was included in the exhibition "Art in Everyday Life: Observations on Contemporary Canadian Design" held at The Power Plant art gallery from June 24 to September 11, 1988,{{cite web |url=https://www.thepowerplant.org/Exhibitions/Past-Exhibitions-1987-2004.aspx#1988 |title=Past Exhibitions 1987-2004: 1988 |publisher=The Power Plant |date=2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317230449/https://www.thepowerplant.org/Exhibitions/Past-Exhibitions-1987-2004.aspx#1988 |archive-date=2017-03-17 |chapter=103 Zaks/1982 |title=Art in Everyday Life: Observations on Contemporary Canadian Design |date=1988 |publisher=The Power Plant |last1=Day |first1=Peter |last2=Lewis |first2=Linda |page=122 |isbn=0-920197-65-5 |chapter=Foreword |title=Art in Everyday Life: Observations on Contemporary Canadian Design |date=1988 |publisher=The Power Plant |last1=Day |first1=Peter |last2=Lewis |first2=Linda |page=7 |isbn=0-920197-65-5
References
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